#deities fanwork

[deitiesofduat]

Is it ok to make fanart of your characters?

Short answer is “Absolutely, thank you for your interest!” I actually mention this in the website’s FAQs, but it’s been a long while since anyone has asked about this, so I’ll share it here as a refresher / for convenience:

Q: “Is it okay to draw fanart / gift art of your character designs for DEITIES Project? Will you allow others to adjust their appearance, or include other personal characters interacting with them in the same image?”

I’m super flattered by any DEITIES fanwork or gifts, and anyone is welcome to draw any of the character designs for DEITIES Project. You can even draw them with alternate outfits, or with your own characters included, if you’d like! Other types of fanwork are welcome as well (I’ll confirm them in more detail if and when I receive specific questions about it).

If you do draw something of the DEITIES cast, please remember to credit their designs and let me know about your work, I’d love to see the results! For any fanart, I’ll also gladly feature them on the full profile of the featured character(s), with a credit and link to your profile — just so long as the artwork is tasteful, of course.

NOTE: You can reach me on tumblr at @tenicola or @deitiesofduat, or you can submit a message with a link to your fanwork in the Askbox (if and when it’s open).

[deitiesofduat]

Anoynymous asked: “eh, may i please be anon for this because I'm a little embarrassed? I'm not good at drawing, but I like drawing even though I'm bad at it. I'm especially bad at making guys that actually look like guys instead of looking like girls. I like drawing fanart and I've got lots of ideas for outfits and hairstyles and stuff. Would you still be ok with fanart and designs even if they aren't drawn well? Or would you rather that not be shared?”

/gently places my hand on your shoulder

Anon, listen to me

My short answer is yes: I'm perfectly fine with fanart and designs at any skill level, and you can absolutely share that art on your blogs, if you're comfortable with it.

My longer answer is sTILL A RESOUNDING YES and to please not feel discouraged, or think that I'm going to judge your fanart by its quality. Keep in mind that you are taking part of your time and your effort to draw someone else's character because you want to -- that is one of the coolest and most flattering gestures to show to a fellow creative!! The last thing I'm going to do is shame someone or leave some brutal critique on a kind gesture just because it may not be "perfect." I don't agree with taking that approach with people who draw giftart, and I'm not about to adopt it now. As long as you're not misusing my designs or breaching any of my boundaries, you're just fine.

(Also to everyone: I save every single fanart and commission I receive and I back them up religiously. DEITIES Project even had its own collection folder, and maybe one day when the website is up I'll make a fanart section to give everyone their due attention, including those who aren't on tumblr.)

As for your opinion about your art, I think you ought to give yourself some credit. Drawing is a difficult skill -- every artist knows this, and anyone else who thinks otherwise is downright kidding themselves. But anyone is capable of learning how to draw; you don't need an innate talent to do it, you just need the motivation to keep practicing and improving.

The fact that you like to draw in spite of the challenges you feel with it, is something you should absolutely hone in on and not let go. Self doubt is bound to happen, and if you feel that way about you current skill level, it's understandable -- I feel it constantly and I've been drawing for over 2 decades, and I think most artists will relate. But having the motivation to draw and enjoying the process will help you practice and become a better, healthier artist. So will surrounding yourself with others that support your effort, cuz my biggest "growth spurt" with drawing came from joining groups and challenges with my friends and creative mutuals, and cheering each other on.

Having said all that? Yeah, humans in particular are a such a difficult subject matter I’m not gonna lie. They come more easily to certain artists, but not to everyone; I personally didn't enjoy drawing people before my college years because "they never came out right." But one thing that's helped so far with humans (and animals) was doing rough studies and paying attention to the details of things like proportions, since they help you understand why certain features look appealing or "correct," even in stylized art.

If you'd like, I have an #anatomy and #proportions tag on my personal tumblr, along with others like eyes/torso/face/etc. that you can sift thru for any tutorials or references. There's also bound to be a few that you can find to practice with masculine features on guys (granted, gender expression is more varied and complex than what many tutorials will offer, but they’re a good way to get started because there are certain features humans have that will lend themselves to appearing “masculine,” if that’s what you’re aiming for).

Either way, you don't need my permission for any of this, but if it helps you then yes, please keep drawing what you enjoy!! And if you draw or share anything for DEITIES I'd be happy to see what you come up with!

[deitiesofduat]

On DEITIES Fanwork & Fan Engagement

Because I was asked about this on CuriousCat last month, it feels like a good time to make a post about what I’m okay with regarding fanwork and engagement with DEITIES Project!

My general answer has usually been that I’m okay with fanwork, and I encourage others to engage and interact with the DEITIES world. However, there are certain media that requires more nuance than others, and certain boundaries that I do not want others to cross, mostly for the sake of the project’s well-being.

To make things more clear, I’ve tried to place them into some yes/maybe/no tiers below. So long as everyone respects these boundaries, I’m happy to allow anyone to have their fun with the project!

“Yes you may and in fact yOU HAVE MY BLESSING--” || No need to ask permission to make these types of fanwork or to post it on your blog, and same with making fan characters -- unless you feel like giving me a heads up! Otherwise you can just go for it, just be sure to tag me so I can see the results!

[✔] -- Visual fanart like illustration, 3D models, animation, sculpture or other handmade crafts -- w/e medium you’d like!

[✔] -- Cosplay (please send me pics!!!)

[✔] -- Alternate outfit designs for the DEITIES cast, including Modern or AU outfits

[✔] -- Fan character designs, and/or personal characters inserted in DEITIES verse. Crossovers with your characters/stories and the DEITIES cast are fine too!*

[✔] -- Fanfiction or roleplay featuring your own characters within DEITIES verse*

*As I mentioned on CC: “Outside of the main story and plot, I'd like to keep DEITIES verse as a semi-open world, so I encourage fan characters/designs and would be happy to see what you come up with for your characters as deities! (or demons. or divine creatures [...]).” If you need ideas for how to adapt or create your character in DEITIES verse, check out the worldbuilding notes first! That, or see my indulgent art of my own DEITIES OCs haha--

“Probably yes, but with conditions...” || My fully detailed answer is in the CC response, but this is mostly as a precaution to avoid the appearance of your written ideas influencing or ending up in the main story. Basically, just keep these conditions in mind, or I may have to decline looking at your stories/logs to be on the safe side.

[ / ] -- Short, light fanfiction that include the DEITIES cast -- just avoid writing a longer series or epic, and/or feel free to insert your own OCs interacting with the cast as well.

[ / ] -- Roleplay with the main DEITIES cast; you may, but you also might prefer RPing your own version of the gods instead >>

[ / ] -- Using my DEITIES art for your icon/avatar or moodboards, but please ask my permission first; if I get enough requests, I can make a few icons for people to use.

“Please Don’t.” || Even if you ask, my answer will be “no” 99% of the time (the 1% is reserved for those I deeply trust, and even they will need my permission first). I may revisit these limits later, but until I do, please respect my boundaries and avoid creating the below content without my say so, thank you.

[✘] -- Prints or other merchandise of the DEITIES cast that you plan to sell (i.e. no commercial work)

[✘] -- Anything directly traced from my existing DEITIES art (and my personal art, for that matter)

[✘] -- Any reposts of my DEITIES art or personal art on your blogs/accounts

[✘] -- Anything that’s blatantly explicit/NSFW of the DEITIES cast; suggestive stuff and tasteful nudity is okay, but please don’t use my character designs to draw/write literal p0rn, thank u;;;;

I know there are more media options than the ones I’ve covered here, so if there’s anything else I haven’t mentioned or that I missed, feel free to ask me for permission or clarification and I’ll make the call then. Also, if I can ask one more favor: please contact me if you notice anyone who may be misusing my artwork without my permission, I would super appreciate your help -- thanks guys!!